Data connector attachment tool

Abstract

Attachment of each of a pair of wires (12) in a cable (14) to each of a pair of opposed contacts (16) in a connector (20) is carried out by a connector attachment tool (10) which includes a cable clamp assembly (34) for clamping the cable in either a horizontal or vertical orientation. The clamp assembly holds the cable so that an operator can pull each of a pair of the wires along a separate one of a pair of wire guides (96,98) which each include retention springs (106,108,110) for grabbing the pulled wire. Each wire guide serves to align the wire pulled therealong with a separate one of a pair of opposed ram assemblies (86,88) located on opposite sides of a carriage (30) which carries the connector. Each ram assembly serves to force the wire aligned therewith into one of the opposed connector contacts aligned with the ram assembly. A mechanism (112) is provided for advancing the carriage once each of a pair of wires has been attached to each of a pair of opposed contacts so as to bring each of a successive pair of connector contacts into alignment with a separate one of the ram assemblies. Each of a pair of scales (116,118) lies on opposite sides of the carriage for indicating which of the connector contacts is opposite a separate one of the ram assemblies.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for attaching each of a pair of wires in a cable to each of a pair of contacts seated in a separate one of a pair of opposed recesses in a data connector, comprising: a base;   a wall rising upwardly from the base and running along a first axis;   a carriage slidably mounted for movement on the wall along the first axis, the carriage adapted to carry a connector having two rows of opposed contacts, each seated in a recess, such that the rows of contacts are each parallel to the first axis;   cable clamp means adapted for detachable mounting to the wall in a separate one of two positions for clamping a multi-wire cable in horizontal and vertical orientations, respectively;   a pair of ram assemblies, each located on opposite sides of the wall, for ramming a separate one of a pair of wires in the cable against a separate one of a pair of opposed contacts in the connector;   a pair of wire guides, each secured to the wall adjacent to a separate one of the ram assemblies for aligning a separate one of the wires in the cable, when the wire is pulled along the wire guide by an operator, with a separate one of the ram assemblies;   wire-retaining means associated with each wire guide for releasably grabbing the wire pulled along the wire guide; and   means for displacing the carriage in a first direction along the first axis such that each of a successive pair of opposed contacts is aligned with a separate one of the ram assemblies.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a pair of scales, each mounted to a separate one of the sides of the wall upstream of a corresponding one of the wire guides for providing a visual indication of which contact in a separate one of the rows of contacts in the connector is aligned with a separate one of the ram assemblies as the carriage is displaced along the first axis. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each scale comprises: a prismatic block having four longitudinal sides, at least one side having graduations thereon spaced the same as the contacts in each row in the connector; and   a bracket secured to one of the sides of the wall for rotatably journalling each of the ends of the block to allow the block to rotate about an axis parallel to the first axis such that a longitudinal face of the block having graduations thereon can be aligned parallel to the upper surface of the wall.   
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cable clamp means includes: a block having first and second opposed parallel surfaces, the first surface having a longitudinal, half-rounded channel therein sized to seat the multi-wire cable, and the second surface adapted for attachment on the upper surface of the wall downstream of the forward end of travel of the carriage such that the channel is parallel to the first axis when the cable is to be clamped in a horizontal orientation; and   a clamp carried by the block for releasably urging the cable into the channel.   
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the cable clamp further includes: a vertical column having a flanged base adapted for attachment to the upper surface of the wall downstream of the forward end of travel of the carriage when the cable is to be clamped in a vertical orientation;   an arm attached to the column and extending horizontally therefrom parallel to the first axis, said arm having a free end distant from the column adapted for attachment to the second surface of the block so that when the block is attached to the arm, the channel in the first surface of the block runs vertically to seat the wire in a vertical orientation.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each wire guide comprises: an upwardly extending pillar attached to an opposed one of the sides of the wall adjacent to a separate one of the ram assemblies such that a small gap exists between the pillar and the ram assembly;   a member extending upwardly from the upper end of the pillar at a first angle (relative to the base) for a first distance and then extending at a second angle thereafter, said member having a smooth exterior surface along which a wire may be pulled by an operator into the gap between the pillar and the ram assembly;   an "L"-shaped member having a first leg attached to to the end of the ram assembly facing the wall so as to be at a height thereabove, and having a second leg extending horizontally from the ram assembly towards the second leg on the "L"-shaped member of the other wire guide, the second leg of the member serving to close a portion of the upper end of the gap between the pillar and the ram assembly.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the wire-retainer means associated with each wire guide comprises: first and second wire-retaining springs which each horizontally circumscribe the "L"-shaped member of the wire guide at a separate one of a first and second height, respectively; and   a third wire-retaining spring which horizontally circumscribes the upper end of the pillar at a height between the first and second heights so as to lie between the first and second wire-retaining springs, respectively.   
     
     
       8. Apparatus for attaching each of a pair of wires in a cable to each of a pair of contacts seated in a separate one of a pair of opposed contacts in a data connector comprising: a base;   a wall rising upwardly from the base and running along a first axis;   a carriage slidably mounted for movement on the wall along the first axis, the carriage adapted to carry a connector having two rows of opposed contacts such that the rows of contacts are each parallel to the first axis;   cable clamp means adapted for detachable mounting to the wall in a separate one of two positions for clamping a multi-wire cable in horizontal and vertical orientations, respectively;   a pair of ram assemblies, each located on opposite sides of the wall for ramming a separate one of a pair of wires in the cable into a separate one of a pair of opposed contacts in the connector;   a pair of wire guides, each secured to the wall adjacent to a separate one of the ram assemblies for aligning a separate one of the wires in the cable, when the wire is pulled along the wire guide by an operator, with a separate one of the ram assemblies;   wire-retaining means associated with each wire guide for releasably grabbing the wire pulled across the wire guide; and   means for displacing the carriage in a first direction along the first axis such that each of a successive pair of opposed contacts is aligned with a separate one of the ram assemblies; and   a pair of scales, each mounted to a separate one of the sides of the wall upstream of a corresponding one of the wire guides for providing a visual indication of which contact in a separate one of the rows of contacts in the connector is aligned with a separate one of the ram assemblies.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein each scale comprises: a prismatic block having four longitudinal sides, at least one side having graduations thereon spaced the same as the contacts in each row in the connector; and   a bracket secured to the side of the wall for rotatably journalling each of the ends of the block to allow the block to rotate about an axis parallel to the first axis such that a longitudinal face of the block having graduations thereon can be aligned parallel to the upper surface of the wall.   
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the cable clamp means includes: a block having first and second opposed parallel surfaces, the first surface having a longitudinal, half-rounded channel therein sized to seat the multiwire cable, and the second surface adapted for attachment on the upper surface of the wall downstream of the forward end of travel of the carriage such that the channel is parallel to the first axis when the cable is to be clamped in a horizontal orientation; and   a clamp carried by the block for releasably urging the cable into the channel.   
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the cable clamp further includes: a vertical column having a flanged base adapted for attachment to the upper surface of the wall downstream of the forward end of travel of the carriage when the cable is to be clamped in a vertical orientation;   an arm attached to the column and extending horizontally therefrom parallel to the first axis, said arm having a free end distant from the column adapted for attachment to the second surface of the block so that when the block is attached to the arm, the channel in the first surface of the block runs vertically to seat in the wire in a vertical orientation.   
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein each wire guide comprises: an upwardly extending pillar attached to an opposed one of the sides of the wall adjacent to a separate one of the ram assemblies such that a small gap exists between the pillar and the ram assembly;   a member extending upwardly from the upper end of the pillar at a first angle (relative to the base) for a first distance and then extending at a second angle thereafter, said member having a smooth exterior surface along which a wire may be pulled by an operator and into the gap between the pillar and the ram assembly;   an "L"-shaped member having a first leg attached to the end of the ram assembly facing the wall so as to be at a height thereabove, and having a second leg extending horizontally from the ram assembly towards the second leg on the "L"-shaped member of the other wire guide, the second leg of the member serving to close a portion of the upper end of the gap between the pillar and the ram assembly.   
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the wire-retainer means associated with each wire guide comprises: first and second wire-retaining springs which each horizontally circumscribe the "L"-shaped member of the wire guide at a separate one of the first and second heights, respectively; and   a third wire-retaining spring which horizontally circumscribes the upper end of the pillar at a height between the first and second heights so as to lie between the first and second wire-retaining springs, respectively.